Sex workers chronicle life in Indian brothels " M# s- S3 |- y- { OMon Jul 30, 2007 8 J) c1 ~6 Y3 P$ r9 J/ @9 U% T0 l' Q# @
MUMBAI (Reuters) - An exclusive magazine for prostitutes is offering a snapshot of life in some of India's biggest brothels, reporting the murky world of pimps and violent customers and showcasing the dreams and talents of sex workers. 4 {. h) j6 p! d: d1 f# n- f9 a j2 i) Z8 A) i8 k
"Red Light Despatch", a monthly publication, is full of emotional outpourings of women sold to brothels as children, personal accounts of torture and harassment, poems and essays by prostitutes, book and film reviews and advocacy articles. 6 a' h" J' ^# A: n* H1 p+ S& L" H/ c6 U- X$ `$ i
Health workers and prostitutes sit together once a week in a tiny newsroom located inside a brothel in India's financial capital to discuss stories, headlines and the design of issues." `3 I$ h+ |3 d. {8 f1 D
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The reporters, often themselves prostitutes or their relatives, file their contribution after scouring the brothels of Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi and some smaller cities.9 Z/ U6 l" O! X- O) w
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"We choose the best stories for publishing," said Rupa Metgudd, a news coordinator and daughter of a former prostitute, sifting through reports for the latest edition. "The magazine is not a mere publication. For us it is journalism of purpose." d1 Q5 P& R$ `, L
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Although prostitution is illegal in India, it is a thriving underground industry and voluntary groups estimate that there are about 2 million women sex workers. " s9 d) P9 ]+ T A1 U: k' b" z$ w& M w# b% C( x
Launched six months ago, the magazine is a platform for the collective memories, nostalgia and dreams of the sex worker community and an attempt to wean their children away from the profession, said editor Anurag Chaturvedi.% }" A/ S% P3 ~
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Two female sex workers stand on a roadside pavement for soliciting customers in a red light area in Mumbai July 28, 2007. An exclusive magazine for prostitutes is offering a snapshot of life in some of India's biggest brothels, reporting the murky world of pimps and violent customers and showcasing the dreams and talents of sex workers. REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe2 u0 m3 W$ S6 r$ r, u
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0 }+ f, F2 X# s6 F3 a- p) m * z. s7 f4 T1 b0 u' _* h' x o一本专门介绍妓女辛酸史的杂志《红灯区通讯》（Red Light Despatch）在印度出版，投稿以至编辑全由妓女包办。出版人员希望杂志能成为妓女抒发愤怒、表达想法和放下伤痛的渠道，有妓女更称杂志给予她们活下去的力量。 0 R8 x/ v0 l) B i$ f4 {. `( ]. t; L
妓女包办撰稿编辑! l5 o7 X5 {( Y
4 P ?+ G& z. a( b# e* b月刊的编辑室就在孟买一家妓院内，编采人员大多是妓女或者她们的亲人，和一些医护人员，新闻总监梅特古德的母亲以前就是一名妓女。他们走访各大小城市的妓院发掘题材，拣选最好的故事刊登，例如下一期就会刊登一名卖零食的男子如何对抗社会偏见，娶一名妓女为妻的故事。《红灯区通讯》发行量现为一千本，正打算转为更引人注目的小报形式发行。
